ASEAN Affairs: 28th Meeting of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

The 28th Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council took place on Thursday in Cambodia. Cambodian Prime Minister H.E. Samdech HUN SEN opened the meeting in Phnom Penh.

In his address, Chair of the meeting the Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sport stressed the theme ‘ASEAN A.C.T: Addressing Challenges Together’ and pledged to respond to future challenges including public health emergencies, natural disasters, the covid-19 pandemic, access to a highly equitable education system, energy and food security, and information and cyber security issues.

The ASCC's priority areas, initiatives and achievements in 2022 will contribute to the common goal of the ASEAN Community, the minister added.

This meeting focused on matters including the ASEAN's values, raising awareness and character, human resource development, women's participation, ASEAN people's health, prosperity, social protection care and strengthening the institutional capacity and effectiveness of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

It also approved the reports to be submitted to the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and the joint statement of the 28th Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

This meeting also discussed progress status of the priority activities during Cambodia's tenure as ASEAN Chair and minutes to be submitted and approved at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and 20 issues to be recorded.

It also approved summary of the meeting minutes. In this meeting, Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Ko Ko expressed his hope that multi-sector cooperation will be increased to develop a specific strategy for the ASCC regarding the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and the Hanoi Declaration of ASEAN Community post 2025 Vision.

He also expressed his support for all the activities that can help shape the ASCC community and the priority areas and programs set to be carried out in 2022 during Cambodia's tenure as ASEAN Chair. Also, he stressed that Myanmar also supports the declarations to be submitted at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits.